Establishing Local Government in Fragile States: Experimental Evidence from Afghanistan

• Published in: World development Vol. 77; pp. 293 - 310
• Main Authors: Jochem, Torsten, Murtazashvili, Ilia, Murtazashvili, Jennifer
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 01-01-2016; Pergamon Press Inc
• Subjects: Afghanistan; Community development; community-driven development; Councils; Democracy; Elections; liberal peacebuilding; Local elections; Local government; Norms; Radical groups; self-governance; state-building; Studies; Taliban; transplant effect; Afghanistan; transplant effect; local elections; Afghanistan; self-governance; community-driven development; liberal peacebuilding; state-building
• ISSN: 0305-750X; 1873-5991
• DOI: 10.1016/j.worlddev.2015.08.025

•An survey experiment conducted in Afghanistan analyzes several selection methods for village councils.•Introduction of formal election of village councils generally improves perceptions of democracy.•Formalizing customary councils drastically increases support for reconciliation with the Taliban.•Formalizing community-driven development councils has similar effects as formal elections.•The effects depend on prior institutions and attitudes supportive of democracy.
International and domestic policy makers often promote elections to establish village government in fragile states. However, two additional options are available in such countries: formalization of self-governing village councils and formalization of community development councils (CDCs). We designed a survey experiment in Afghanistan that compares the consequences of elections to establish village councils to each alternative. We find that elections, and to a lesser extent formalization of CDCs, improve support for democracy, while formalization of customary councils improves support for reconciliation with the Taliban. Moreover, the consequences of transplanting elections are contingent on social norms and institutions supportive of democracy.